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Crossroads – Plain Speaking Part 3 – Peace for our time?

With gratitude to Stefan Resurrectus of Clan Resurrectus, Stefano Bordogni of Il Tempio Oscuro, Italy and Gordon (Hesperus) of CLAVIS for their responses to the invitation and proposal contained inPart 2 of the “Peace for our time” presentation it falls to us now to look at the results of that exercise.

When the concept of this proposal first came to the point of discussion it was realized, quickly, that the usual round of counter-arguments would ensue. Counter-arguments based on “what is already happening”, counter-arguments based on the concept being seen as the product of a particular “group” or “organization” and the fully anticipated counter-arguments about who was “expecting” to be in charge.

Firstly I would like to point out several things.

I, and Lady Tania, regardless of any personal or group affiliations developed this proposal in concert with an independent third party. This project was NOT the concept of a particular group or organization other than these three people.

This proposal to action was instigated by someone who was in the VC/OVC a long time ago, who left for an extended length of time and then returned to find absolutely nothing, in their opinion and experience, had changed. If there are so many people working on doing so many good things in so many places within this ephemeral vision of “community” why are we, the general population of the “community”, NOT seeing it? Why are people of good character who leave for long periods of time returning to find the same problems?

Img. source – thegreatsouthernbrainfart.com

The invitation, going out to the list of recognized leaders and public figures of the “community”, was aimed at involving, ostensibly, the most influential people in the “community”, it was also aimed at considering whether or not the exclusivity of existing mechanisms can be considered to be truly representative of the entire “community” or not.

It did NOT represent an attempt to put anyone “in charge”, it does NOT represent an attempt to “police” the “community”, what it DOES represent is an attempt to propose the establishment of an accord to provide a safer, more peaceful, open and supportive real modern vampire “community”.

Indeed, one comment that has been made follows the realization that the “usual objections start to surface”. The question is how can there be objections to the concept of a peace accord? How can there be any objections to the concept of open communication and harmonious inter-reaction? The only conceivable cause for objection can be that the people who are currently placing themselves in perceived positions of control and command are actually opposed to the idea that anyone else can be allowed to exercise any influence or have any real input into the peaceful existence of the modern vampire community.

It is also very disheartening to me, and I believe, to the majority of readers and observers when they see comments such as this from someone who holds themselves forth as an Elder and Leader, “most of the fucktards proposing this “unity” type action are EXPECTING to be put in charge somewhere along the lines or pulling the strings from behind the magick curtain and are ALL EXACTLY LIKE Lady ***. Abusive. Manipulative. Willing to drop a lie at the first sign of breath. Willing to spread lies about ANYONE they perceive to be a threat to their own personal power, whether that person is wanting to be involved with them or not.”

Img. source – RVL copyright 2015

Questions raised about the proposal

There were, early on, a number of valid questions raised about the proposal and I would like to address one of those; I noted in a post at the RVL Social Group right after posting the “Peace for our time Part 2” editorial, that even though I co-presented this article I would like it to be known that,

“Before the commentaries begin to come in, this is NOT an attempt to set myself up as some uber-leader/elder of the “community”. It is not an attempt to embarrass anyone nor is it an attempt to “build an empire” for I will have nothing whatsoever to do with whatever detente or accord might arise as a result of it. The responsibility for building and maintaining the structure is up to the people who will become signatories to it.It was my job to join with Lady Tania and bring the presentation to the attention of the “community” and sub-culture, that’s all. It is my job to report the responses to the proposal in the set time frame, following that, “my work here is done citizens”. I will NOT be seeking, nor accepting, any active role in what ensues as a result of this presentation.”

So, in as far as the initial concerns that were raised we had answers all set out and detailed in such a manner that it would be quite clear what this proposal was and what it was not… unfortunately that has become a moot point.The conclusions:
It is very hard, indeed virtually impossible, to draw any kind of hopeful or optimistic conclusion from the result of this exercise. Indeed, the very prospect of any sort of wide-ranging “peace accord” amongst the majority, or even a significant proportion of the sub-culture seem to be as likely as this writer becoming the first transgender astronaut on Mars ~ with deepest respect to our transgender brothers and sisters of course.

We have to ask ourselves why, why does the very concept of a broad and unifying peace seem so unwanted and unsupported; feared even? Perhaps it is a case that can be found mirrored in the words of one who attended a pretentiously high level meeting and discussion of a particular organisation, “Change is coming, however, if it is going to be on OUR terms…” and another attendee who commented, and quite rightly so, “Egotism hinders progress because it obscures the truth. People care about being right or promoting their own personal agenda more than facts.” [1]

It would appear that then, just as now, it has to be seen that there can be no common ground, no acceptance of the right of any other organization, group or other body to propose nor yet contribute to any form of progressive peace initiative. There can be NO leadership, initiative, positive effort or voice other than those who declare themselves to be THE only ones that matter and while that is the state of the playing field then we are forced to admit, whether we like it or not, that there is NO common “community”.

Img. source – klimtlover.wordpress.com

As I have often mentioned, a person, whom some regard to be quite highly placed in the so called “community”, made a comment to me some time back that, in speaking of the modern vampire sub-culture “unity is a myth”… I wonder if Lady Slinky knew, when she made that comment, how very true it was and would continue to be.

Unfortunately we can draw only one solid and realistic conclusion now, “the vampire community IS a myth”, and it’s a fiction that has been woven around the ideas of a few people who have a need to feel as though they are in charge of something. The bad news is, there’s NOTHING there, NOTHING to be in charge of except for whatever little club they may have created for themselves. So, we need to address the cold hard truth of the matter, we need to stop running around playing Prince, King, Grand High PooBah and the like and trying to convince people that there is such a thing as a “community”, either online or off.

Vampires, in all ways, have always been popularly represented as “solitary”, there has never been a need to be in a “colony”, a “community”, a “nation” or any other such thing…unless you’re role-playing in The Masquerade of course. Vampires, real modern traditional vampires don’t NEED any of that bullshit, they don’t CARE for any of that bullshit and it is becoming increasingly clear that they don’t WANT any of that bullshit.

It’s time, perhaps well past time, to stop dragging the carcass of a “community” on our collective shoulders; it truly is time to stop flogging the dead horse, drop the burden and forget the empire building and the masquerading stuff, no one owns cities, no one rules anyone, no one makes rules for others and no one has permission to shove bullshit into other people’s faces. It’s time to stop the “media-whoring” interviews that make a laughing stock of real modern vampires and is absolutely well past the time when we should have recognized the self-serving, self-important “wannabe God” figures that have attempted to put themselves out there as the “be-all-and-end-all” of our right. No one is a “King” of anything, and those who have the sense to realise the depths to which this has sunk have already found other things to do.

Img. source – www.caufields.com

There are just vampires now, modern vampires, each on their own recognizance, each to their own and each responsible to no one save themselves and, in hindsight, perhaps it would have been better if it had stayed that way all along. It’s time to abandon the crumbling “castles”, the decayed tenements and look past the faded gilt edging of a fictional community; it’s well past time that we got back to where we belong, back to where we have ALWAYS belonged, time we get back to being Vampires, not Mickey Mouse Club groupies.

Img. source – www.starshipnivan.com

Copyright: RVL 2015

1. Voices of the Vampire Community (VVC) Public Meeting – September 23, 2012

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